The opening pictures giving
a view of the church are superb (Ch.1) and the photography
never falls below that high standard. The concert is of
a wide selection of Mozartís religious music. It takes
place within the quite magnificent setting of the Domkirche
St. Stephen. The cameraís movement around the architecture
and ornamentation of the building adds significantly to
the enjoyment of the concert.

The boys of the Wiener
Sangerknaben (Vienna Boys Choir) are in their traditional
sailor suits whilst the men are in dark suits. The soloists
are situated at the front of the small orchestra. The programme
consists of orchestral pieces and combinations of the choirs
and soloists. The boysí choir is something of a disappointment.
Far too often they have their heads down into their scores
(Ch. 6) resulting in poor vocal projection into the warm,
but not over-reverberant, acoustic. I was also disappointed
in the vocal quality of the choristers chosen as soloists
in the Coronation Mass excerpts where their tonal colour
is distinctly thin (Chs. 7-12). It is many years since
I heard the Vienna Boys live, but I well remember the purity
and excellent range of their voices. On this evidence the
choristers in the British cathedral choir schools are significantly
superior. Of the named soloists the soprano Sandrine Piau
sings the Et incarnatus from the Mass in C minor
(Ch. 4), the Laudate Dominum (Ch. 6) and the Agnus
Dei (Ch 14). Although she makes good efforts at phrasing
and expression, her voice fails to soar. It needs bringing
forward and projecting. Of the two men, the bass of Wolfgang
Bankl is particularly pleasing and his firmness in the Coronation
Mass is a particular strength. In the orchestral items
(Chs. 2 and 15) Bertrand de Billy conducts briskly with
well-pointed rhythms. The well-wrapped audience show a
cultured appreciation.

A major value of this
issue comes in the bonus of Marieke Schroederís documentary
on the subject of Mozartís last ten years in Vienna. It
describes a capital city of two hundred thousand citizens,
some living fifty to a house! It was a particularly interesting
time in Vienna with Emperor Joseph, who commissioned Cosi
fan tutte, intent on reform. It was a turbulent time
for Mozart, particularly after the Emperorís premature
death and him not a favourite at the Court of his successor.
Using Mozartís writings, contemporary scholarship and interviews
with renowned artists from music and opera production,
the film investigates the changing picture of the composer
from the 1780s to the present day. In the process it takes
the viewer to the very heart of modern Vienna. There are
some fine musical excerpts.

The concert component
of this DVD would have been a lot better with a quality
soprano and better rehearsal for the choir. However, musically
it does present a diverse range of Mozartís religious music
and can be recommended as such. Mozart and Vienna lovers
can enjoy the bonus many times over.

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